DINING. WORLD EATS.

Pepper and egg spices Friday in Lent

March 08, 2002|By Charles Leroux.

During Lent, when Catholics face the prospect of Fridays filled with fish sticks and macaroni and cheese, World Eats offers a tasty Italian alternative.

To assure that business doesn't fall off during this time of abstinence, some places that specialize in such meaty fare as juicy Italian beef sandwiches are offering the option of the pepper and egg sandwich.

Tony's Italian Beef, 7007 S. Pulaski Rd., is a tiny, busy place with a few stools, a surprising number of menu items and lots of take-out customers. For much of its 27 years in business, it has offered Lenten specials -- grilled cheese sandwiches, filet of sole sandwiches and "Tony's Famous Gourmet Pepper and Egg Sandwich." The flier that Tony's hands out this time of year carries a quote -- unattributed -- that claims of the pepper and egg, "Nobody does it better."

"It's very, very good," said the counterman who answered the phone. "It's got scrambled eggs and peppers and onions and spices. If you want cheese, we put that on, hot peppers, too, if you want."

The Famous Gourmet sandwich is $3 and is available all day only on Fridays through Good Friday. Otherwise, it's available from 6 a.m. to about noon.

Far to the north of the Pulaski Road Tony's is Tony's Italian Deli Subs at 6708 N. Northwest Hwy. During Lent, this Tony's adds pepper and egg to its sub lineup, which includes Italian, turkey, tuna and meatball. Again, it's scrambled eggs, green peppers and spices served here on French bread. If you want cheese, it's romano. This only-on-Fridays sandwich is $2.99 for a 6-inch, $3.99 for a 9-inch.

Buona Beef has several outlets; the original store is at 6745 W. Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn. For the past few years, Buona has offered a pepper and egg sandwich much like one you might find in Italy. The scrambled eggs and green peppers are topped with parmesan cheese. These sandwiches sell for $3.58 including tax, something most of us would like to abstain from.